


Simple Pleasures, Simple Love

by FloofyTMCCWritez



Series: Dream SMP Fics [4]
Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Tales From The SMP - Fandom, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dream Smp, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Karl Jacobs-centric, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Not Beta Read, Reincarnation, Sad with a Happy Ending, Sapnap is James, Sapnap-centric (Video Blogging RPF), Time Travelling Karl Jacobs, Web Series: Tales from the SMP, if the relationship tags didn’t tell you, no beta we die like people, spouler alert its Sapnap and karl
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-19 07:33:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29622777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FloofyTMCCWritez/pseuds/FloofyTMCCWritez
Summary: James remembered a ball. He remembered Billiam asking about his family, remembered how the room didn’t matter as he held Karl in his arms.They glided across the ballroom floor, ignoring the looks others gave them.James had known, all his life, he didn’t like women. No, he had liked men. But in this time and age?Your life ended for that.So he kept it hidden, saying he hadn’t found anyone he liked just yet, always brushing it off withwork is more important, or aI’ll The One someday. He even made an excuse about having a wife, who divorced him and took the family.But Karl felt so right, how could he not? They danced, Karl nearly tripping on his toes. He wanted it to last forever.It all went badly after that.
Relationships: Karl Jacobs/Sapnap
Series: Dream SMP Fics [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2163696
Comments: 2
Kudos: 76





	Simple Pleasures, Simple Love

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [earthquakes, heartaches](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29618484) by [thunderstorms (fictionalparadises)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fictionalparadises/pseuds/thunderstorms). 



> If the CCs state they are uncomfortable with shipping/fanfics I will take this down. This is shipping the characters, not the people, they do not need to get into a relationship if they do not want to.

James remembered a ball. He remembered Billiam asking about his family, remembered how the room didn’t matter as he held Karl in his arms.

They glided across the ballroom floor, ignoring the looks others gave them. 

Something told James he was The One.

It had all been nice and peaceful, and James was slowly working up the courage to learn more about him. 

James had known, all his life, he didn’t like women. No, he had liked men. But in this time and age?

Your life ended for that.

So he kept it hidden, saying he hadn’t found anyone he liked just yet, always brushing it off with _work is more important_ , or a _I’ll The One someday_. He even made an excuse about having a wife, who divorced him and took the family.

Lies, most of them.

But Karl felt so right, how could he not? He was going to ask him if he wanted to stay with him after the party was over, but then the lights cut out.

It all went badly after that. The body, Karl’s insistence on seeing it—he didn’t need to see that. James just wanted to wrap him up and keep him safe.

Then, they were running, and James knew It was coming for them. That if he didn’t leave himself, Karl would get hurt.

So he slipped his hand out of Karl’s, saying he was going a different way. 

He felt the blood before he felt the pain.

The light came back on, and not too long after Karl came racing out. His eyes locked onto him, and James smiled sadly.

The things he couldn’t say. The things he wanted to say.

_I love you, Karl. I want to be with you, I want you to be happy. Before the at, I want you to be safe. It was the only way._

But he couldn’t say that. He settled for something else. He’d never personally believed in reincarnation, no. 

But if it was another chance at meeting Karl again, he’d gladly take it.

“Maybe,” he coughed, blood spilling out of his mouth. Faster. He didn’t have the time, he needed to tell him- “Maybe we’ll see each other in another life.”

The edges of the purple mask shone with the lighting on Karl’s tears. He gathered his strength and rubbed his hand in Karl’s cheek, smearing his blood on it.

“Yeah. Yeah, maybe.”

Karl’s hand wrapped around his own, holding it against him as he sobbed. James smiled.

If the last thing he saw was Karl, he’d be happy with his death. He could be at peace. Maybe they’d meet again, in the afterlife.

He let out Karl’s name in a low whisper, his last message dying on his tongue with him.

“Karl…”

_I love you._

* * *

James sat up with a start. He glanced at his arms—a white t-shirt over black sleeves.

“Sapnap!” He heard a voice call. He knew, somehow, Sapnap was him. He knew, somehow, that voice was George, his friend.

“Yeah yeah, I’m coming.”

James—Sapnap? Jamnap? James was easiest. At least until he got used to being Sapnap—stood up, looking in the mirror. He looks extremely similar to how he did before… and he smiled softly.

He remembers Sapnap. But he also remembers James. 

James is much, much more vivid than Sapnap.

So James makes his way down the stairs, smiling at George and Dream as they waited for him.

_I’ll be waiting for you, my love. Karl._

* * *

Karl. Karl is here. Karl is here, exactly the same, if a bit younger, 200 years in the future. He doesn’t temper anything.

 _That’s fine,_ Sapnap thought. _I’ve waited this long, I can wait a little longer._

* * *

Karl awoke in his library. As soon as he was calmed down enough, he wrote down what happened.

When he remembered James. James’ warm embrace, how close they danced together, how their breaths intermingled as they ran.

How he hadn’t left when James’ lungs and heart stopped, when the lights went out again.

He couldn’t.

But when he knew it was Sapnap… He couldn’t do anything. He needed to make sure he was okay.

He spirited, not noticing anything until he heard Sapnap’s voice.

He launched himself into his arms, feeling Sapnap under him. He was real. He was alive. He was safe.

“Karl? Hey, Karl, what’s wrong?” Sapnap’s worry was evident. He sniffled, burying his head into his neck. “Karl, you’ve been gone for a week, what’s going on?”

“It’s- I can’t explain it. But I… I had a bad dream, where you died, and there was nothing I could do about it. And, and…”

He let out a whisper, soft and fragile, but still there.

“ _James…_ ”

And Sapnap goes straight as a rod. Had he heard? It’d be hard to explain.

Sapnap would think he was crazy. He couldn’t explain it.

“Karl? Do you… Do you remember now?”

...What?

“Karl, I swear, if this is a prank, it’s not funny-”

“Wait wait wait, w-what? Sapnap?”

“James.”

“How…?” _How are you alive? How do you know?_ the questions remain unasked between them. 

“I’ve remembered for a long time. I’ve been waiting for you, my love. We never finished the at dance.”

And Karl lets out a laugh, wet with his sobs, and he gets into a waltzing position with James.

He leans his head on his chest, and they waltz to no music.

Karl loved Sapnap. Sapnap loved him. It was as simple as that.

Or was it?

**Author's Note:**

> I’m absolute trash for Karlnap fics. Specifically ones involving James.


End file.
